Module

3
Machinability
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Lesson
15
Cutting Tool Materials
of common use
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Instructional Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to
(i) Identify the needs and cite the chronological development of cutting
tool materials.
(ii) Describe the characteristics and state the applications of the
commonly used cutting tool materials;
(a) High speed steel
(b) Stellite
(c) Sintered carbides
(d) Plain ceramics

(i) Needs And Chronological Development Of Cutting Tool

Materials
With the progress of the industrial world it has been needed to continuously
develop and improve the cutting tool materials and geometry;
to meet the growing demands for high productivity, quality and
economy of machining
to enable effective and efficient machining of the exotic materials
that are coming up with the rapid and vast progress of science and
technology
for precision and ultra-precision machining
for micro and even nano machining demanded by the day and
future.
It is already stated that the capability and overall performance of the cutting
tools depend upon,
the cutting tool materials
the cutting tool geometry
proper selection and use of those tools
the machining conditions and the environments
Out of which the tool material plays the most vital role.
The relative contribution of the cutting tool materials on productivity, for
instance, can be roughly assessed from Fig. 3.3.1

20
10
0

1910 1923

Year 1965 1980

High perf. Ceramics 750 m/min

30

Coated carbide 250 m/min

40

Carbide (brazed) 80 m/min

50

25 m/min

60

Carbide (brazed) 60 m/min

70

HSS

MRR (for turning MS)

80

2000

Fig. 3.3.1 Productivity raised by cutting tool materials.

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The chronological development of cutting tool materials is briefly indicated in

Fig. 3.3.2
Need

Development

Year
1900

HSS(W: 18%; Cr: 4%; V: 1%; C: 0.7%)

Automobile

1910
Stellite

WW - I

1920

HSS(V: 2~4%, Co: 5 12% in W & Cr)

Aircraft

1930

Sintered Carbide for C.I

WW - II

1940

Carbide for steels

Chem. Petro-chem., NU &

polymer industries

1950

HSS with high V, Mo, Co & C

Plain ceramics, Syn. Diamond

Jet engines
Space programmes

1960

Ceramics and Cermets

1970

Coated carbides, PM HSS, PCD

1980

CBN, coated HSS, SIALON

1986

High performance ceramics

1990

Diamond coated carbides

Reduction of cost of
manufacturing
Defence
Superalloys

Just-in-time
Fig. 3.3.2

Chronological development of cutting tool materials.

(ii) Characteristics And Applications Of The Primary

Cutting Tool Materials
(a)

High Speed Steel (HSS)

Advent of HSS in around 1905 made a break through at that time in the
history of cutting tool materials though got later superseded by many other
novel tool materials like cemented carbides and ceramics which could
machine much faster than the HSS tools.

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The basic composition of HSS is 18% W, 4% Cr, 1% V, 0.7% C and rest Fe.
Such HSS tool could machine (turn) mild steel jobs at speed only upto 20 ~ 30
m/min (which was quite substantial those days)
However, HSS is still used as cutting tool material where;
the tool geometry and mechanics of chip formation are complex,
such as helical twist drills, reamers, gear shaping cutters, hobs, form
tools, broaches etc.
brittle tools like carbides, ceramics etc. are not suitable under shock
loading
the small scale industries cannot afford costlier tools
the old or low powered small machine tools cannot accept high
speed and feed.
The tool is to be used number of times by resharpening.
With time the effectiveness and efficiency of HSS (tools) and their application
range were gradually enhanced by improving its properties and surface
condition through Refinement of microstructure
Addition of large amount of cobalt and Vanadium to increase hot
hardness and wear resistance respectively
Manufacture by powder metallurgical process
Surface coating with heat and wear resistive materials like TiC, TiN,
etc by Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) or Physical Vapour
Deposition (PVD)

The commonly used grades of HSS are given in Table 3.3.1.

Table 3.3.1 Compositions and types of popular high speed steels
Type
C
W
Mo
Cr
V
Co
T1
0.70
18
4
1
T4
0.75
18
4
1
5
T6
0.80
20
4
2
12
M2
0.80
6
5
4
2
M4
1.30
6
5
4
4
M 15
1.55
6
3
5
5
5
M 42
1.08
1.5
9.5
4
1.1
8

RC

64.7

62.4

Addition of large amount of Co and V, refinement of microstructure and

coating increased strength and wear resistance and thus enhanced
productivity and life of the HSS tools remarkably.
(b) Stellite
This is a cast alloy of Co (40 to 50%), Cr (27 to 32%), W (14 to 19%) and C
(2%). Stellite is quite tough and more heat and wear resistive than the basic
HSS (18 4 1) But such stellite as cutting tool material became obsolete for
its poor grindability and specially after the arrival of cemented carbides.
(c) Sintered Tungsten carbides
The advent of sintered carbides made another breakthrough in the history of
cutting tool materials.
Straight or single carbide
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First the straight or single carbide tools or inserts were powder

metallurgically produced by mixing, compacting and sintering 90 to 95%
WC powder with cobalt. The hot, hard and wear resistant WC grains are
held by the binder Co which provides the necessary strength and
toughness. Such tools are suitable for machining grey cast iron, brass,
bronze etc. which produce short discontinuous chips and at cutting
velocities two to three times of that possible for HSS tools.

Composite carbides

The single carbide is not suitable for machining steels because of rapid
growth of wear, particularly crater wear, by diffusion of Co and carbon
from the tool to the chip under the high stress and temperature bulk
(plastic) contact between the continuous chip and the tool surfaces.
For machining steels successfully, another type called composite carbide
have been developed by adding (8 to 20%) a gamma phase to WC and
Co mix. The gamma phase is a mix of TiC, TiN, TaC, NiC etc. which are
more diffusion resistant than WC due to their more stability and less
wettability by steel.

Mixed carbides

Titanium carbide (TiC) is not only more stable but also much harder than
WC. So for machining ferritic steels causing intensive diffusion and
adhesion wear a large quantity (5 to 25%) of TiC is added with WC and
Co to produce another grade called Mixed carbide. But increase in TiC
content reduces the toughness of the tools. Therefore, for finishing with
light cut but high speed, the harder grades containing upto 25% TiC are
used and for heavy roughing work at lower speeds lesser amount (5 to
10%) of TiC is suitable.

Gradation of cemented carbides and their applications

The standards developed by ISO for grouping of carbide tools and their
application ranges are given in Table 3.3.2.
Table 3.3.2 Broad classification of carbide tools.
ISO Code
Colour Code
Application
P
For machining long chip
forming common materials like
plain carbon and low alloy
steels
M
For machining long or short
chip forming ferrous materials
like Stainless steel
K
For machining short chipping,
ferrous
and
non-ferrous
material and non-metals like
Cast Iron, Brass etc.

K-group is suitable for machining short chip producing ferrous and nonferrous metals and also some non metals.
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P-group is suitably used for machining long chipping ferrous metals i.e.
plain carbon and low alloy steels
M-group is generally recommended for machining more difficult-tomachine materials like strain hardening austenitic steel and manganese
steel etc.
Each group again is divided into some subgroups like P10, P20 etc., as
shown in Table 3.3.3 depending upon their properties and applications.
Table 3.3.3 Detail grouping of cemented carbide tools
ISO
Application
Material
Process
group
P01
Steel, Steel castings
Precision and finish machining,
high speed
P10
Steel, steel castings
Turning, threading and milling
high speed, small chips
P20
Steel, steel castings, Turning, milling, medium speed
malleable cast iron
with small chip section
P30
Steel, steel castings, Turning, milling, low cutting
malleable cast iron speed, large chip section
forming long chips
P40
Steel
and
steel Turning, planning, low cutting
casting with sand speed, large chip section
inclusions
P50
Steel
and
steel Operations
requiring
high
castings of medium or toughness turning, planning,
low tensile strength
shaping at low cutting speeds
K01
Hard grey C.I., chilled Turning, precision turning and
casting, Al. alloys with boring, milling, scraping
high silicon
K10
Grey C.I. hardness > Turning, milling, boring, reaming,
220 HB. Malleable broaching, scraping
C.I.,
Al.
alloys
containing Si
K20
Grey C.I. hardness up Turning,
milling,
broaching,
to 220 HB
requiring high toughness
K30
Soft grey C.I. Low Turning,
reaming
under
tensile strength steel
favourable conditions
K40
Soft
non-ferrous Turning milling etc.
metals
M10
Steel, steel castings, Turning at medium or high
manganese
steel, cutting speed, medium chip
grey C.I.
section
M20
Steel
casting, Turning, milling, medium cutting
austentic
steel, speed and medium chip section
manganese
steel,
spherodized
C.I.,
Malleable C.I.
M30
Steel, austenitic steel, Turning,
milling,
planning,
spherodized C.I. heat medium cutting speed, medium
resisting alloys
or large chip section
M40
Free cutting steel, low Turning, profile turning, specially
tensile strength steel, in automatic machines.
brass and light alloy
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The smaller number refers to the operations which need more wear
resistance and the larger numbers to those requiring higher toughness
for the tool.
(d) Plain ceramics
Inherently high compressive strength, chemical stability and hot hardness of
the ceramics led to powder metallurgical production of indexable ceramic tool
inserts since 1950. Table 3.3.4 shows the advantages and limitations of
alumina ceramics in contrast to sintered carbide. Alumina (Al2O3) is preferred
to silicon nitride (Si3N4) for higher hardness and chemical stability. Si3N4 is
tougher but again more difficult to process. The plain ceramic tools are brittle
in nature and hence had limited applications.
Table 3.3.4 Cutting tool properties of alumina ceramics.
Advantages
Shortcoming
very high hardness
poor toughness
very high hot hardness
poor tensile strength
chemical stability
poor TRS
antiwelding
low thermal conductivity
less diffusivity
less density
high abrasion resistance
high melting point
very low thermal conductivity*
very low thermal expansion
coefficient
* Cutting tool should resist penetration of heat but should disperse the heat
throughout the core.
Basically three types of ceramic tool bits are available in the market;
Plain alumina with traces of additives these white or pink sintered
inserts are cold pressed and are used mainly for machining cast iron
and similar materials at speeds 200 to 250 m/min
Alumina; with or without additives hot pressed, black colour, hard
and strong used for machining steels and cast iron at VC = 150 to
250 m/min
Carbide ceramic (Al2O3 + 30% TiC) cold or hot pressed, black
colour, quite strong and enough tough used for machining hard
cast irons and plain and alloy steels at 150 to 200 m/min.
The plain ceramic outperformed the then existing tool materials in some
application areas like high speed machining of softer steels mainly for higher
hot hardness as indicated in Fig. 3.3.3

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Fig. 3.3.3

Hot hardness of the different commonly used tool materials.

(Ref. Book by A.Bhattacharya)

However, the use of those brittle plain ceramic tools, until their strength and
toughness could be substantially improved since 1970, gradually decreased
for being restricted to
uninterrupted machining of soft cast irons and steels only
relatively high cutting velocity but only in a narrow range (200 ~ 300
m/min)
requiring very rigid machine tools
Advent of coated carbide capable of machining cast iron and steels at high
velocity made the then ceramics almost obsolete.

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